You Deserve to be Happy
by iwannagibbs
Summary: Gibbs meets a woman and falls in love. Can he really be happy?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of these folks except Lauren.**

**Author' Note: The character, Lauren, was not named after Lauren Holly, its just a coincidence I chose that name for her. This story is complete, I just can't type anymore tonight. I will post the second and last chapter tomorrow night. I hope you enjoy it.**

**YOU DESERVE TO BE HAPPY**

**Chapter One**

As the mid-summer Sunday was coming to an end Jethro Gibbs steered his sailboat toward his slip at the Potomac Marina. He had been on the water since early morning and was sorry to see the day coming to an end. Gibbs had found nothing better than a day of sailing to help him deal with the stress and heartache that seemed a constant presence in his life the past year. Easing the boat to the dock Gibbs saw Pete, a marina dock hand, standing ready to catch a line and tie off the boat.

"Hey Pete, thanks for the hand."

"No problem Gibbs. Got a message for you. DiNozzo just called and said you need to call him right away."

"Thanks."

As Gibbs pulled out his cell phone and called his Senior Field Agent, Pete secured the boat fore and aft.

"DiNozzo, whataya got?"

"Hey, Boss, dead sailor. Metro found him in his car in Rock Creek Park and called us when they found his ID."

"Okay. You and McGee get down there and get started. Tell Ziva to swing by here and pick me up. And call Ducky."

"Gotcha Boss. We're on it."

Gibbs sighed. A bad end to a perfect day he thought. "Pete, I've got to go to work. Can you wash her down for me?"

"Sure thing. I'll lock her up when I'm through. Don't worry, she'll be ready for you whenever you get back."

"Thanks Pete." Gibbs went below to change and get his gear bag, gun and badge. When he came topside he noticed a woman on the dock. A very pretty woman he thought. Tall, great legs, nice shape and strawberry blond hair pulled back in a thick braid. She was wearing shorts, a tank top and boat shoes suggesting this wasn't her first time on a dock. She seemed to be paying particular attention to Gibbs' boat. Gibbs stepped off the boat so he could see Ziva when she drove up.

"Does she handle as good as she looks?" the woman asked as Gibbs walked towards her.

"Well, she handles very nicely. She can take a good wind but likes a light breeze too." Jethro looked more closely at the woman and noticed a few freckles and really nice blue eyes.

"She's custom built isn't she?"

"Yes as a matter of fact she is. How did you know?" Gibbs was beginning to hope Ziva got lost on her way to get him.

"Oh, I just know a little bit about boats. Not much. Was she built around here?"

Gibbs laughed, "Yeah about 15 miles from here. In my basement as a matter of fact." He didn't usually talk about the boat and he wasn't sure what prompted him to tell this stranger he had built her himself. The look of surprise and appreciation on her face was well worth it though.

"Wow, you surprised me with that. I'm Lauren by the way. She's a real beauty."

"Thank you. I'm Jethro. I'm sorry but I have to go to work or I would give you a closer look--at the boat I mean."

Lauren chuckled at his double meaning and said, "I'd love to have a closer look Jethro. I'll be around here for a while so maybe another day. I'm staying on the cabin cruiser four slips down on the other side."

Jethro saw Ziva drive up to the gate so he said, "There's my ride. Nice meeting you Lauren. I'll look you up next time I'm out." With that Gibbs was gone up the ramp and out the gate.

As Lauren watched him go she thought, what an interesting man and very handsome too. Maybe the next few weeks wouldn't be as boring as she had feared they would be. Of course with my luck he's a serial killer or a nut case she mused.

As they drove to the scene, Ziva filled Gibbs in on what little info they had on the victim then asked, "How was the sailing? Is the boat meeting your expectations?"

"The sailing was great and Kelly handles very well. Very smooth. I'm happy with her overall. You should come with me sometime and I'll let you try her out." Gibbs had already taken Abby and Ducky out earlier this summer but Ziva and Tony had not been sailing with him yet. There was very little chance McGee would ever set foot on the Kelly as he got seasick just going on the dock.

"Yes, I would like to do that before the summer is over. Oh, here we are, looks like Ducky and Palmer just got here too."

Gibbs and Ziva joined the rest of the team and processed the scene. Ducky and Palmer loaded the body and soon they were all headed to the Navy Yard. The rest of the evening and well into the night was spent collecting info on the victim and processing the evidence from the scene. Luckily a witness had been located and by Monday night a suspect was in custody. Without too much resistance the suspect confessed and Tuesday morning the case was closed. Unfortunately that quick closure meant the team was available for an arson case on Tuesday afternoon. That was followed by a home invasion incident on Thursday night. By Saturday morning the team was exhausted and Gibbs told them to head home for the weekend. Their leads on the home invasion were not panning out so he told them they would start over on Monday.

It was unusual for Gibbs to give his team time off in the middle of the case. They certainly didn't complain though. They each realized that in the past few months since Director Shepard had been killed things had changed at least a little bit where Gibbs was concerned. He was still driven and still addicted to coffee but also just a little bit easier on them and on himself. They still worked ridiculous hours and had the best close rate in the agency but it wasn't work 100 of the time now. Maybe 96 but that 4 difference was huge to the team. Gibbs never talked to any of them about what happened to the director but they all understood what he had lost. They were all very glad he had finished the boat and was actually sailing her because that really seemed to improve his mood. When Gibbs went sailing on the weekend their week usually went much better.

On Sunday morning Gibbs filled a thermos with coffee and packed a cooler with beer and sandwiches for the afternoon. He headed to the marina early so he could get out on the water before the crowds got there. As he drove his mind wandered back to the day he finally got the Kelly in the water. Jenny was there with him. She was actually the first person onboard once the boat was in the water. They hadn't sailed that day but they toasted the "launching" with bourbon and Chinese take out. Jenny told him how proud she was of him for the job he did on the boat and how beautiful it was. Jethro promised to take her sailing as soon as she got back form California where she was going the next day. Before they left the boat that night Jethro took Jenny in her arms and kissed her. He told her they had some things to talk about when she got home and she agreed. Of course Jenny never came home from California so Jethro was sailing alone most days. He considered getting rid of the boat but in the end he couldn't. He had promised Jenny he was keeping this one and sailing her and since he had never broken a promise to Jenny….

It had been six months since Jenny died and Jethro was slowly making peace with all that had happened. He still had a passion for his work but he spent more time sailing and relaxing than he had in years. He actually turned his phone off sometimes and let DiNozzo take the lead on cases. He had spent a month with Mike in Mexico but he wasn't ready to retire yet.

Gibbs parked his truck, unloaded his cooler and bag and headed to the boat. As he promised Pete had washed down the deck, cleaned up and locked up for him. Gibbs had stowed the gear and was making ready to cast off when he saw the woman from last week walking down the dock with several bags of groceries. Thinking hard to remember her name, Gibbs stepped off the boat and went to lend a hand.

"Good morning, Lauren, isn't it. Can I give you a hand?"

"Oh yes, thank you, Jethro and good morning to you. Getting an early start I see."

Jethro took a couple of bags from her and followed her to her boat. "Yeah well I like to get out before the amateurs get here and clog up the water. So, this is yours huh, very impressive."

Lauren laughed and said, "Yes, she's impressive alright but she's not mine. She belongs to my sister and her husband. They bought her in Newport and we were on our way to Ft. Lauderdale when there was an emergency with their business and they had to fly home immediately. So, I'm here with the boat until they get the situation resolved and can come back to resume the trip. I don't mind really, there are worse places to be stranded I'm sure."

Setting the bags on the counter Gibbs asked, "So you don't have to be back to work or your family somewhere?' He wondered why he was hoping she said no to both of those things.

"My sister and brother-in-law are my only family and I am a writer so I can work from anywhere." Lauren realized they were standing very close to each other even though the galley was plenty spacious. She was surprised at how comfortable that felt to her.

Jethro also realized he was standing very close to Lauren but he made no move to back away. He was too busy taking note of her very blue eyes, her smooth, tanned skin and damn, her reddish blond hair. It seemed like they stood there for a long time but it was really just a moment.

Finally Jethro asked, "Would you like to join me today? I was planning to be out all day but if you needed to be back for any reason we could come in early."

"Yes, I'd love to go. I don't have anything else planned so all day would be great. Can I bring anything, snacks or whatever?"

"I have beer, water and sandwiches so whatever you'd like bring it along."

"Great. I'll be there in what, 20 minutes be okay?'

Sure, I'll see you in twenty."

Jethro left her to put away the groceries and get ready. Twenty minutes later Lauren was casting off the lines as Jethro steered Kelly away from the dock. It was a perfect day to be on the water; sunny and warm with just enough breeze to make sailing a pleasure. Even though most of Lauren's boating experience was not on sailboats she could see that Jethro was an expert sailor. He handled the Kelly with ease. He told her to make herself at home and look around so she did. After stowing the snacks she brought she came topside to find Jethro had shed his shirt and shoes. She could tell he was clearly in his element on the water.

"Did you do all the work yourself?" she asked admiring the boat and its owner at the same time.

"All the wood construction. I had the engine installed by a friend but mostly I built her." There was pride in his voice but no hint of boasting.

"Well as I said before she's a beauty. How long did it take you?"

"The better part of three years. I had a lot of distractions," Jethro replied with what Lauren thought was just a touch of sadness.

Deciding to change the subject Lauren said, "I brought some killer cinnamon rolls. Can I get you one and a refill on your coffee?"

"Thanks that sounds good. There should be some paper plates and stuff in a cabinet next to the sink. Just look around for what you need."

Lauren retuned with two cinnamon rolls, coffee for Jethro and a bottle of water for herself.

"Wow, this is delicious. I don't think I should know where you got these" Jethro said between bites.

"I know they are really sinful but a weakness of mine. I hate to think how many miles it takes to run one of these things off! But I believe life is meant to be enjoyed and for me that includes cinnamon rolls"

Jethro finished off his roll and took a long drink of coffee. He watched Lauren put away the plates and settle in a deck chair applying sunblock.

"Here, let me put some on your back" he offered.

"Thanks."

"Tell me what do you enjoy in life besides sinful pastries?"

Lauren laughed, "I love finishing a story ahead of deadline and I never tire of the beach".

So far so good Jethro thought as he finished applying sunscreen to her back. He could tell she worked out; her muscles were firm and toned. Very nice package he concluded.

"Let me return the favor." Lauren took the lotion and rubbed a generous amount on Jethro's back and shoulders. Oh boy, she thought this could get dangerous. Great body, muscular but trim and very fit as well as handsome. And he's got great hands Lauren thought to herself. "Tell me Jethro, besides sailing what do you enjoy in life?" When Jethro didn't answer for a long minute, Lauren began to think she had asked a wrong question. "I'm sorry, Jethro, it's the writer in me, I…"

"No, it's okay. I just had to really give that some thought. The truth is I haven't enjoyed much about life lately. This boat and sailing her are about the only things I can say I have enjoyed for a long time." As he said this Jethro was gazing out across the water almost talking to himself. He brought his attention back to Lauren and said, "Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to put a damper on the day. I'm very much enjoying today so that's all that matters, right?'

"Right", Lauren smiled at him and relaxed back in her chair with her feet up on the deck rail.

The next couple of hours passed with little conversation except for occasional comments about nothing very important. Neither seemed to mind the quiet In fact they were both very comfortable with no talking. Lauren was enjoying the beautiful day and wondering to herself why she was so at ease with this man she didn't really know. She certainly found him attractive, great body, beautiful gray hair cut short, and stunning blue eyes that seemed to have magnetic powers. He is certainly a gentleman and has apparently had his share of life's troubles.

As Jethro maneuvered the Kelly around the sound he found himself enjoying the scenery on the boat as much as the scenery on the water. Being a man of few words he was comfortable with little conversation and he really appreciated a woman who seemed to feel the same way. Jethro had told himself after Jenny died that he was not going to get involved with another woman. His track record with relationships was such a disaster he didn't think he could survive another failure or worse the death of another person he loved. She won't be here long anyway he told himself so she'll just be a friend and sailing companion. Besides he reasoned, she is stranded in my city and it's just good manners to be friendly.

With all that circulating in his head, Gibbs failed to notice Lauren was looking at him and had apparently asked him a question. "I'm sorry did you say something?"

"I just wondered if you wanted something to eat or drink. I'm going below for a beer if you don't mind."

"Of course, help yourself. I could eat a sandwich. Why don't I drop anchor and we can have lunch below and get out of the sun for a while. You look like you are getting a little burned."

"I think you're right. I should put my shirt on—you should too I'd say."

They went below and Lauren arranged the plates and a salad she had brought while Gibbs got out sandwiches and beer. Jethro decided he had to know more about this woman he was feeling so comfortable with so he asked, "What sort of writing do you do?"

"I write feature stories for magazines and some large newspapers. I've actually written a couple of stories about people sailing around the world. The stories focus on the person much more that on the actual sailing though. I've always been fascinated by people who overcome obstacles and succeed so most of my stories follow that sort of theme. Kind of a long answer to a simple question I guess."

"No, not really. I can't imagine enjoying writing enough to make it your career. Paperwork – report writing – is my least favorite part of my job."

"What sort of work do you do Jethro?"

"I'm a Federal Agent, I work for NCIS, Naval Criminal Investigative Service."

"I imagine that is interesting and stressful at the same time. Maybe the kind of job you hesitate to say you like even if you do just because of what you encounter."

"Yes exactly." Most people didn't ever get that Jethro realized. This lady was pushing al the right buttons he thought to himself. "So are you working on a story now?"

"I just finished an article for a travel magazine last week. Not very challenging but it pays well. I don't' have anything in the works at the moment."

Jethro took a couple of bites of sandwich while he considered what he wanted to say next. He wasn't sure he wanted to make the suggestion that was on his mind. After all he didn't really know Lauren and he didn't know if she would be interested or do the kind of story he was thinking about. Finally he decided to trust his very reliable gut. He had a good leeling about this woman.

"Listen if you want to write about people overcoming obstacles and succeeding I could introduce you to some Marine friends of mine. I think you would find their stories interesting. They are at Bethesda and their story should be told by someone."

"Jethro are you serious? I was thinking about that kind of story but I don't know anyone who could make it happen for me."

"Well now you do."

"My god Jethro, I would be honored to tell your Marines' stories. Thank you!" Lauren reached across the small table and gave Gibbs' hand a squeeze as their eyes locked.

Jethro let himself enjoy the contact for a moment before he stood up. "You're welcome. We'll work out the details later. Now, let's clean this up and go see what kind of a sailor you are."

They sailed away the rest of the afternoon with Jethro teaching Lauren some basics of handling the boat. She was a quick study and they enjoyed the rest of the day together. They laughed and talked about nothing in particular. Lauren told Jethro about some of her travels and some of the interesting people she had met. As was his habit Jethro shared little about himself or his work. He told her a bit about his team especially McGee and all the fallout from his book. Lauren vowed to find a copy and read it as soon as she could.

As the day was winding down and they headed for the marina they fell into a comfortable silence. Lauren decided to stop questioning her attraction to Jethro and just relax and go with her feelings. She reminded herself that she was a good judge of character and that Jethro was after all, a Federal agent so he probably wasn't a serial killer of a nut case. Besides she had an idea she wasn't going to have much luck ignoring her growing attraction for this quiet, very decent man.

As he sailed toward the marina Jethro stole several long looks at Lauren. The voice in his head was telling him to be careful and remember how much it hurts when a relationship gets screwed up and he's left alone, again. The problem was that his gut was telling Jethro he could trust this woman, that she wouldn't betray him. He always trusted his gut but this time he just wasn't sure. He mind also kept going back to Jenny and time he let slip away from them. So, he did what he had done for years, he locked away his emotions and ignored the little voice that was trying to tell him it was okay to be happy.

As they were getting ready to leave the boat Jethro told Lauren he would make some calls in the morning and get her the necessary clearances for the hospital. They walked to Lauren's boat and she went to get Jethro her business card so he would have her contact information.

"My cell number and email are both on here. Use whichever is easiest to let me know what I need to do." They were standing very close to each other; Lauren reached out and took Jethro's hands in hers. "Thank you for today, Jethro, I had a wonderful time. And thank you for arranging the interviews for me." She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek as she squeezed his hands.

Jethro held onto her hands and said, "you're welcome, I really had a good time today too. I'll call you tomorrow about the interviews." He really wanted to kiss her but instead he looked at her for a long moment, squeezed her hands and said again, "I'll call you tomorrow." With that he let her hands drop and walked away.

Lauren stood and watched Jethro walk toward the parking lot. She was disappointed she didn't get a kiss but not entirely surprised. She had noticed during the past couple of hours that Jethro seemed to be withdrawing. It wasn't anything dramatic or rude but she could tell he was shutting down somehow. She had turned to go back to her boat when she heard footsteps approaching so she turned around. Jethro walked up to her and said, "I forgot to give you my card. Just in case you need to get in touch with me or if I don't call you tomorrow you could call and remind me." It all came out in a sort of a rush.

Lauren reached for the card he held out to her and Jethro caught her wrist, pulled her to him and gave her a slow, deep kiss. When he finally broke off the kiss Jethro gave Lauren a smile and said, "I've gotta go. I'll call you."

Lauren stood on the dock and watched Jethro leave. Now that's more like it she thought. She was a little confused but in a good way. Jethro drove home feeling pretty good himself. He was glad he had decided to follow his gut feeling instead of listening to the little voice telling him to be careful. I'll be careful he thought but that doesn't mean I cant' be open to possibilities.

Jethro got work early in Monday so by the time his team arrived he was well into the investigation of the home invasion from last week. He sent McGee down to work with Abby on the evidence they had collected. He sent Tony and Ziva back to the scene and he went to re-interview the victims. By noon when they met back at the office they all had at least a scrap of new information to work with. At 3:00 Jethro announced he was going for coffee. The case was finally coming together and it looked like they were making good progress. He called his friend at Bethesda and arranged for Lauren to get a pass to the hospital. Then he called the Marines he wanted her to talk to and asked them if they were okay with it. They all said yes so he called Lauren next.

"Hi it's Jethro. How ya doing?"

"Hi, I'm good, how's your day going?"

"Actually pretty well. I talked to my friend at Bethesda and he will have a pass waiting for you tomorrow if you want to get started then. I can give you a ride."

"Oh, tomorrow will be fine. Thank you for doing all this for me."

"You're welcome but you might want to wait to thank me until you meet the guys. Let me give you a number to call – ready?—555-4500. Ask for Brian and he will get you all set up. Just call me later and let me know what time you want to be there."

"Okay, is any time better or worse for you?"

"No, anytime will be fine. I gotta go, call me later, okay?"

"I will. Thanks again."

Gibbs took his coffee and headed back to the office. By 5:00 they had identified their suspects and McGee was running down addresses. Gibbs was reaching for his gun so they could go after the suspects when his phone rang. Without looking to see who the caller was he answered, "Yeah, Gibbs", in his usual gruff voice.

"It's Lauren. Am I calling at a bad time?"

"Oh sorry, Hi. No not a bad time. What did you get set up?"

"11:00 tomorrow morning. Is that okay for you."

"Sure that's fine. I'll pick you up by 10:30."

"Okay, thanks. I'll see you in the morning. Bye Jethro."

"Bye."

Gibbs closed his phone and looked up to find, McGee, Tony and Ziva all looking at him. Without acknowledging their curiosity he barked, "Grab your gear" and headed to the elevator. Two hours later they were back with their suspects in tow. Two hours after that the suspects were being taken away by MP's for booking. Finally at 10:00 Gibbs sent his team home telling them their reports could be finished in the morning. They were surprised by this but didn't question it. They were gone practically by the time Gibbs stopped talking.

Jethro thought about calling Lauren but decided it was too late. Besides he didn't really have a reason to call. He realized he just liked talking to her; hearing her voice. The sound of her voice was so smooth is seemed to flow over him like warm water. Somehow, he found it calming and sexy at the same time. I guess I'll just have to wait until tomorrow he thought as he got up to leave. On his way home Jethro admitted to himself he was pretty interested in Lauren and looking forward to seeing her tomorrow. He found this disturbing since he had only known her for a few days so he decided not to think about it anymore.

The next morning at 10:00 Gibbs announced he was going for coffee and would probably be gone a couple of hours. He told his team they could reach him on his cell and left the office.

"Something's going on with the bossman. Ziva, what is it, do you know?"

"How would I know, Tony, you are the Senior Field Agent."

"McGeek, can you do your snoop thingy on his phone and find out who called him yesterday? Whoever it was made him smile and that's not easy to do you know."

"Tony, I'm not going to hack into the boss's phone, no way, no."

"Maybe he's met a woman. I'll bet that's it. Anyone want in on this action?"

"NO," both Ziva and McGee answered.

Gibbs arrived at the marina 15 minutes early but Lauren was ready. She was sitting on the aft deck finishing a cup of coffee. Jethro stood behind her on the dock admiring how pretty her hair looked. She had it pulled back and up and held in place with an antique looking clasp. Just enough of her neck was exposed to give Jethro some interesting ideas. Even from where he was standing Jethro could smell her perfume; whatever it was he liked it.

Without turning around, Lauren asked, "Are you coming aboard or are you just looking?"

"Well I was coming aboard but I am enjoying just looking too" Jethro replied with is famous smirk firmly in place.

Lauren laughed and said, "I'll just get my bag and I'm ready to go. And by the way, good morning Jethro," she added as she took his hand and stepped onto the dock.

Jethro surprised her and himself when he leaned into Lauren and kissed her. "Good morning to you too" he said when he finally gave her some breathing room. He still had hold of her hand so he just kept is firmly in his grasp as they walked to the car. Since Lauren didn't really know what to think after that kiss—that very good kiss—she corrected herself, she decided to just enjoy the ride. She was not a woman who needed a lot of chatter and since Jethro obviously didn't either they were happy with neither of them talking. When they got to Bethesda Jethro parked and they walked toward the entrance.

"I'll wait while you get your pass and then I'll take you down and introduce you to the guys."

"You don't have to do that Jethro. Don't you have to be at work?"

"They'll call if they need me. Besides, you really shouldn't meet these guys alone the first time."

Lauren thought she detected just a hint of conspiracy in his voice and she wondered what she'd gotten herself into. I'll find out soon enough she thought as they made their way to the elevators and down to the meeting room where the interviews had been arranged. Jethro pushed open the door and ushered Lauren into a large room where she was greeted by six Marines in various stages of physical trauma. It took her just a moment to get her bearings and while she was doing that the Marines greeted Jethro enthusiastically.

"Oooh Gunny, where did you find this lady and what in the world is she doing with the likes of you?"

"Hey, Gunny good to see you."

"You can go now Gunny, we got this covered."

Jethro took the ribbing in stride and greeted each of the young men with a handshake or a hug. "Alright you guys. This is Lauren Fuller, the writer I told you about."

Each of the Marines greeted Lauren and introduced themselves. There were the most polite young men Lauren had ever met. She began to relax and decided this was going to be a very good idea after all. When the introductions were complete Jethro said, "I gotta go back to work. You guys better treat Lauren right or I'll be back and take you all out you hear me?' The Marines laughed and Lauren knew she was in good hands.

"Call me when you're finished today and I'll come rescue, er, I mean pick you up."

"Okay, thanks, I'll see you later." She thought about saying she could get a cab but something in Jethro's tone of voice let her know that wasn't an option.

At 4:30 Gibbs' phone rang and the next thing the team knew he was leaving and telling them they could go home. In the elevator, Ziva and Tony agreed something was going on and it was a good thing because their boss was in a good mood and they were leaving early.

"I just hope she's not a redhead" Tony sighed.

Jethro pulled up to the hospital and saw Lauren waiting outside with the Marines. They were laughing and it was obvious the meeting had been a success. They liked her which meant they would be more likely to trust her and tell her their stories honestly and fully. At least that was Jethro's experience and what he hoped would happen. As he watched Lauren interact with these young men each missing at least one limb, he realized he had been right to trust her. He felt himself barely able to hear that little voice that tried to tell him to be careful. It was being taken over by a voice that said trust your instincts, let yourself be happy.

Lauren saw Jethro drive up so she said her goodbyes and met Jethro at the car. As she got into the car Jethro said, "Looks like you and guys got along pretty well. Everything go okay?"

"Oh my god, Jethro, they are wonderful. We got along very well and I love them already. Even if I didn't write about them I'm so glad you introduced me to them. Aside

from the obvious reasons they're here they are just great guys. Funny and smart and so committed to each other; and very fond of you I might add. I had a great day!"

Jethro looked at her all flushed with excitement and he knew he was a goner. It was just a matter of time he told himself before he would be lost in this woman. He promised himself right then he would take it slowly and enjoy the trip but he knew in his heart where he hoped the journey would end. Now he just had to make sure Lauren wanted to come along.

"Sounds like I better hire a chaperone for you" Jethro said with a laugh. "I'm glad it worked out so well. Are you hungry? I thought we might grab an early dinner."

"Yes, I am hungry now that you mention it. Dinner would be nice."

Jethro drive to a small cafe he liked On the way he asked Lauren to tell him about her meeting and she was more than happy to do so. She told him about her ideas for the story and how helpful and enthused the Marines were about it.

"Do you think you will have any trouble finding someone interested in publishing your articles or story or whatever?"

"Funny you should ask that because you know I haven't really even thought about it. I'm not sure what exactly I'm going to do with this. The guys and I are going to talk about it more tomorrow. I'm thinking there might be more here than just a magazine article. I don't know yet. A lot if it depends on what the men want to do. And what their families are comfortable with. We'll jut see how it plays out. No matter what happens, I'm glad I met them."

They arrived at the café where the owner greeted Jethro by name and seated them at a quiet table in the back. "I eat here a lot, " Jethro explained as they looked over the menu. He let Lauren order first then told the waitress he would have his usual which the young lady seemed to know before he spoke. "Maybe I eat here too often" he said with a laugh.

Lauren looked across the table at Jethro and marveled again at how comfortable she was with him. She was finding this man more and more attractive every time she was with him. Lauren being a hand holder and hugger by nature was having a hard time keeping her hands to herself and she finally decided to stop fighting it. She reached across the table and took Jethro's hand and asked, "So how was your day? Catch any bad guys?" She didn't let go of his hand and was pleased that he didn't seem to mind. In fact he started rubbing his thumb back and forth on the back of her had which she found very distracting in a pleasant sort of way.

"As a matter of fact we did catch some bad guys yesterday but so far today has been quiet. I just have some paperwork to finish up tonight. I'm really glad you had such a good day." This last part was said so softly that Lauren almost didn't hear it. Jethro was finding it harder to concentrate the longer he held her hand and looked into her so, so blue eyes. Just breathing normally was becoming a challenge.

Luckily the waitress arrived with their food. Lauren reluctantly took her hand back so she could eat even though that seemed like such an unimportant thing to do right now. They ate in a companionable silence, Jethro paid the bill and they went out to the car. The atmosphere in the car on the way to the marina was so charged that sparks were almost flying. When he parked the car neither of them made a move to get out right away. They just sat there like two teenagers who didn't know how to end their date.

Finally, Lauren looked over at Jethro and said, "Okay, uhmm, thanks for the ride and dinner and just what the hell is going on with us Jethro?"

Jethro turned to her smiling and replied, "You're welcome and I don't know for sure. What do you think is going on?"

"All I know is I am very attracted to you Jethro and I am having a very hard time keeping my hands to myself. We barely know each other and yet I feel completely at ease when I'm with you. I find myself thinking about you a lot and when I'm with you I have trouble thinking about anything else. I was perfectly content with my life until you came along." When she said that last part she gave Jethro a light punch on the arm.

Jethro laughed, caught her wrist and pulled her to him. With his mouth barely touching her left ear Jethro whispered, "I couldn't have said it better myself. And by the way, you are not required to keep your hands to yourself." Jethro then kissed his way lightly down her jaw until he finally captured her mouth in a needy, passionate kiss. Lauren responded by running her hand up the back of his neck into his hair to hold him against her mouth. When he ran his tongue over her lips she quickly granted him entrance and he deepened the kiss. Only when they couldn't go without air any longer did they back off just enough to catch their breath.

"Lauren, I…"

"Wait Jethro, before you say anything could we just try that again?"

"Sure." Jethro gladly took possession of her mouth as she moved as close to him as the console would allow. Jethro tangled his hands in her hair and pulled her into the kiss as their tongues danced together. Again, only the need for oxygen caused them to break off the kiss.

This time they sat and looked at each other for a long moment before Jethro spoke. "What I was going to say before I was so nicely interrupted was that I am very interested in your Lauren but I need to take this slowly. Your are not a person I can take lightly and the last thing I want to do is hurt you or myself for that matter."

Lauren brushed her fingertips over Jethro's mouth before kissing him so softly he barely felt it. Then, holding his left hand in both of hers she said, "I appreciate you not taking me or us lightly, Jethro. I certainly don't want to be hurt but I also don't ever want to hurt you. Why don't we just take it slowly and see where we go. I'm going to be pretty busy for the next few weeks at least with interviews and all that for the article. And you're busy with your work as well. I want to continue to see you when we can manage it of course. There's no rush is there? We can take our time and get to know each other before we get too carried away. Fair enough?"

"Just as long as you promise to go sailing with me this weekend."

"I can't think of anything I'd rather do. Now, I need to get busy organizing my notes and you have paperwork waiting for you. I'm taking a cab in the morning but if you can pick me up about 5:00 I'll fix you dinner."

"I'll be there." Jethro started to open his door but Lauren's hand on his arm stopped him.

"Don't get out. I'll be fine." She leaned in and gave him a quick kiss and then she was out of the car and on her way to her boat. At the gate she turned and waved at him smiling.

Jethro went back to the office and did paperwork for a couple of hours before he finally went home. He felt good about his life for the first time in along time. He was determined not to get ahead of himself where Lauren was concerned. On the other hand, he knew from bitter experience that life had its own timetable. There were no guaranteed tomorrows so he was not going to let too much time pass before he made a decision one way or another about Lauren.

The next day Jethro picked Lauren up at the hospital and they went to her boat for dinner. While Lauren started fixing dinner, Jethro walked down to check on the Kelly. Finding everything in order he returned to Lauren's as she was setting the table.

"Can I help with anything?" Jethro asked as he came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Yes as a matter of fact you can", Lauren turned to face him and continued, "you can kiss me, that would be very helpful."

"My pleasure." Jethro brushed some loose hair back and with his hands framing her face he began a slow, tender kiss that seemed to melt Lauren from the inside out. Lauren wrapped her arms around him and held on for dear life as he slowly deepened the kiss until they were both moaning with pleasure.

Lauren finally had to pull back. Laughing she teased, "That was extremely helpful Jethro, but if we don't stop dinner will be ruined."

"Are you really hungry?" Jethro asked has Lauren gently pushed him away.

"Yes, and we're taking things slowly remember?"

"Oh yeah I seem to remember something like that."

"You better, it was your idea. Now let's eat."

After dinner they sat on the deck holding hands, kissing and talking about their day. Naturally Lauren did most of the talking and Jethro did most of the kissing.

Summoning his courage, Jethro asked very quietly, "How long do you think you'll be here Lauren?" He had been remembering that when they first met she had said she'd be there for a few weeks. Well, three weeks were gone and he was realizing she could be leaving any time.

"Oh my gosh, I forgot to tell you my sister called today. I was so busy telling you about the interviews I forgot. Their business situation is going to take some time to deal with so they have postponed coming for the boat indefinitely. They arranged wit the marina for a month to month lease on the slip but they probably won't come until late fall at least. She asked if I wanted to stay here to keep an eye on things and of course I said yes. So, the answer to your question Jethro is I'll be here indefinitely but at least a couple more months."

Jethro grinned with relief. "That is very good news. I'm sorry for their trouble but very glad you're staying. Just then Jethro's phone rang. Flipping it open he growled, "Yeah, Gibbs."

"Hey sorry to bother you boss but we've got a dead Marine at Quantico."

"Alright, I'll meet you there. Get Ducky." Turning back to Lauren, he said, "I'm sorry I've gotta go to work. Do you need a ride tomorrow?"

"No, I've rented a car since I'm going to be here a while."

"Okay, well I'll see you Saturday at least right?"

"Yes, sailing on Saturday. Now go Jethro. I'll see you."

Jethro took time for one more kiss and then he was gone.

The rest of the week was all work and no pleasure for Gibbs and his team. The case was messy and complicated and took its toll on each of them. By late Friday night Gibbs felt like they had it pretty much cleared so he sent everyone home for the weekend. By the time he got home it was much too late to call Lauren so he had a stiff drink and fell into bed hoping she would still want to go sailing with him in the morning. Just before three days of non-stop work and very little sleep claimed him, Jethro realized he had not called Lauren all week. He would definitely have to talk to her about what happens when he's on a case. His last conscious thought was, "I hope she's more understanding than my ex-wives."

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Only the character Lauren belongs to me

**Disclaimer: ** Only the character Lauren belongs to me.

**Author's Note:** Thank you so much for your reviews of Chapter 1. The story is complete with the posting of Chapter 2. This has been fun to write and I will miss having it in the works. I hope you enjoy it.

You Deserve to be Happy

Chapter Two

When he got to the marina the next morning, Jethro went straight to the Kelly and stowed his gear. He was a little apprehensive about seeing Lauren since he had not called her all week. He was wiping down the deck and checking everything over when he heard footsteps and smelled coffee. Looking up he found Lauren standing on the dock with a mug of coffee and a cinnamon roll.

"Good morning, permission to come aboard?"

With a silent sigh of relief Jethro replied, "Yes definitely." He helped her aboard and gave her a quick good morning kiss.

"I seem to remember you devoured one of these on our first morning out so I thought you would enjoy one today. I don't want to interrupt you, I just wanted to say good morning and see if you're still planning to go out today."

"You're not interrupting. I wasn't sure you'd be up and moving this time of day or even if you still wanted to go."

"I've been up working for an hour or so and I went for a run. Of course I still want to go. Is something wrong Jethro?"

"No nothing's wrong. It's just that I realized last night I never called you again after I left the other night. I get so focused on a case sometimes that I forget about everything and everyone else. It can be a problem in a relationship and I…"

"You don't have to explain yourself to me Jethro. I was feeling badly because I never called to check on you. I have been so caught up in my project I barely looked up all week. I'm certainly not upset you didn't call me."

Jethro stood looking at Lauren and couldn't believe what he was hearing. He wondered how he got so lucky as to find this beautiful woman who actually seemed to understand his obsession with work. And to have her standing on his boat with coffee was even better. Jethro took the coffee and the roll and set them on the table. Then he stepped right up against Lauren and ran his hands lightly up her arms and into her hair.

"Have I told you how beautiful you are," he whispered in her ear.

Lauren found it very difficult to formulate an answer because by now Jethro was kissing her neck and running his hands up and down her back. When he kissed and licked his way to her mouth she wasn't sure she'd ever speak again. Jethro kissed her with such passion and feeling she almost forgot the question. What she did remember to do was kiss him back. With her fingers entangled in his hair, she met his passion with her own. When Jethro pulled away she continued to place soft kisses all along his jaw and over to his ear where she whispered, "No you haven't mentioned that before but I liked the way you told me."

Neither of them wanted to let go so they just stood there holding each other and kissing for what seemed like a long time.

"I think your coffee's getting cold."

"I don't care."

"Are we going sailing or what?"

"I don't know, maybe 'or what'" Jethro said looking her right in the eyes.

"Why don't we stick to sailing today. We'll get to the 'or what' eventually." With that Lauren pushed him away lightly and said, "I'll go get my bag and some food and be right back."

Reluctantly Jethro let her go. As he watched her go, Jethro listened for the little voice in his head. He could barely hear the one that told him his happiness never lasted but the other one, the one that said go ahead you deserve to be happy was coming through loud and clear.

They sailed the day away and raced back ahead of a threatening thunderstorm. There was a lot of laughing and kissing and touching and just enjoying being together. When there was any talking it was Lauren telling Jethro about her family and her past. As usual he had little to say on those subjects. Lauren had done her research however so she knew Jethro had plenty to tell—when he was ready. From her public records search, she knew about the three divorces and she had read enough police reports and newspaper stories to know that Jethro was very good at his job. She figured he would tell her about his past when he was ready. Lauren didn't think there was anything he would tell her that would change the fact that she was slowly but surely falling in love with him.

When they were safely back at the marina and back on Lauren's boat, she fixed them some dinner after which Jethro promptly fell fast asleep on a couch. He woke up a couple of hours later when his phone rang. With a sleepy voice he answered, "Yeah, Gibbs."

"Ah Jethro, I'm sorry did I wake you?"

"Oh hi Ducky. I guess a day on the water did me in and I fell asleep on the couch. What's up?"

"I had a message from Mr. Palmer in the office when I came in today that you were looking for me Friday evening. I was calling to see what you needed."

"I wanted to ask if you would like to go sailing tomorrow. There is someone I'd like you to meet Ducky. It's kind of important."

Ducky could tell by Jethro's tone of voice that he very much wanted him to join him tomorrow. "Yes, I'd like that Jethro, what time?"

"Would 10:00 be okay? We wouldn't have to be out all day."

"Yes 10:00 will be fine. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Night Ducky."

Jethro looked around and realized he was still on Lauren's boat and she wasn't in sight. He shook the cobwebs from his head and went to find her. He located her on the deck stretched out on a double lounger. Sitting beside her Jethro put his arm around her and said, "I'm sorry I fell asleep on you. I guess the week finally caught up with me."

Lauren snuggled in closer, "I heard your phone, do you have to go in?"

"No it was a friend returning a call from Friday. I invited him to join us tomorrow. I want you two to meet. Ducky, Donald Mallard, is our ME and my oldest friend. I think you'll like him."

Jethro settled back in the lounger with Lauren's head on his chest and his arms holding her close to him. Before long they were both lulled into a sound sleep by the gentle rocking of the boat. Sometime in the middle of the night Jethro woke up and managed to guide Lauren to her bed and tuck her in. It took all his willpower to leave her and make his way down the dock to his own bed on the Kelly. As he fell into his bunk he promised himself the whole going slowly thing was going to be over soon. He just needed some time to talk to Lauren about his past so she knew what she was getting into. This wasn't going to be a short term affair if he could help it and he wanted her to be sure about him before they took the next step. He didn't normally worry about that sort of thing but Lauren was special and he didn't want to screw this relationship up. Having Ducky along tomorrow to meet Lauren was a step toward letting her more deeply into his life. Ducky would be an ally for him in case he needed one and Jethro trusted Ducky's instincts about people so he was anxious to hear his impression of Lauren. Finally Jethro was rocked into a dreamless sleep on board his precious Kelly.

Ducky arrived promptly at 10:00 the next morning and they were soon away from the dock and on the open water. As Jethro suspected they would, Lauren and Ducky hit it off immediately. Before long he had yet another confirmation that Lauren was someone very special that he wanted to hang onto. The day was as close to perfect as possible until Jethro's phone rang as they were docking Kelly. When he closed the phone the look on his face told Lauren and Ducky the fun was over.

"Sorry Lauren, Ducky and I have to go to work. I'll get Pete to come clean and lock up the boat."

"Don't worry about it Jethro, I'll close up and make sure everything is taken care of. Ducky it was a pleasure meeting you. I hope I see you again soon." Lauren caught Jethro for a quick hot kiss before he stepped onto the dock. "Bye, call me when you can."

"I will, I promise. I had a good time today."

Ducky watched their exchange and felt a surge of hope for his friend. "Goodbye Lauren, it was my pleasure I assure you. We will see each other again soon I'm sure."

"C'mon Duck, I'll ride with you. The team is meeting us there and Palmer is bringing the truck."

In the car Ducky looked over at Jethro and said, "She's a beautiful person Jethro. You will be a lucky man if you manage to hold onto her."

"Yeah Ducky I know. We're taking our time but really I'm just working up my nerve to tell her about my past. She hasn't seen my 'bastard' side yet either so that probably won't help when it happens."

"You know, the rest of us don't see as much of that as we used to Jethro. I think losing Jennifer has changed you my friend. It has helped you put things in perspective I think. Lauren seems to understand your commitment to your work. Give yourself some credit, Jethro, you are a good man and you deserve to be happy. I don't think Lauren will be dissuaded by your past. In fact, my guess is she is already in love with you and just waiting for you to catch up."

"Thanks Ducky, now, we better change the subject or I won't be able to concentrate on this case."

The case was a bad one but at least Ducky's services weren't needed. A little girl and her mother were missing, abducted from their home and there wasn't much to go on. The husband/father was being called home from Iraq but he had no clue as to who would have taken his family. The FBI were eventually called in when the family's car was found across the state line in Maryland. Hours turned into days and Gibbs was losing what little patience he had to begin with. These cases, with kids involved, always brought out the best and the worst in Special Agent Gibbs and his team knew it. They were working day and night but had little to show for it. Very late Wednesday night Gibbs sent them home hoping they would all benefit from a good night's sleep.

In the past Gibbs would have gone home to a bottle of bourbon and fallen asleep in his chair or under his boat. Instead, tonight he found himself calling Lauren to ask if he could see her. It was late he knew but he just needed to see her, touch her and be touched by her. He could tell he woke her up but she told him to come anyway so he did. She was waiting for him with coffee and a welcoming kiss. She didn't ask any questions she just led him to the couch and held him and kissed him and he let her do it.

"Jethro if you need to talk about it I can hear whatever you need to say but if not I understand that too."

"I just needed to see you and have your arms around me." Jethro was struggling with his emotions. He didn't want to hide them anymore but he wasn't sure he knew what else to do; he had locked them up for so long.

Lauren could see he was struggling to keep his composure. "I'm here Jethro. Just relax, I've got you and I'm not going to let you go." She kissed him softly and held him until he finally fell asleep in her arms. Lauren felt herself falling more and more in love with Jethro and she hoped his coming to her tonight meant he was feeling the same way about her.

Jethro woke up to the smell of coffee and it took him a minute to realize where he was. Then he remembered coming to Lauren a few hours ago and falling asleep in her arms. He got up and moved to the galley where Lauren was working on her laptop. He leaned down and kissed her, "Good morning beautiful."

"Good morning yourself. Coffee?"

"Yes thank you and thank you for last night or should I say this morning."

"Don't mention it. You are always welcome here Jethro, no matter the hour or the reason. I want you to remember that."

The ringing of his cell phone prevented Jethro from answering. "Yeah Abby, whataya got?"

"We finally caught a break bossman. I've found something, you need to get here asap."

"Okay, I'm on my way." He snapped the phone closed as Lauren handed him a travel mug of coffee. "I'll see you when I can, okay."

"Be safe Jethro. You know where I am."

On his way to the Navy Yard Jethro made up his mind that he had waited long enough. Lauren deserved to know about his past so she could decide if she wanted to continue their relationship. This weekend would either be the end or the beginning of what he hoped would be a very long partnership. For now though he had a dirt bag to catch so he turned off his personal life to concentrate on the business at hand.

Sure enough Abby had found just what they needed; a partial fingerprint that led to the identity of a suspect. At least now they knew who they were looking for. In the end though it was the victim and her child who solved the case. They had managed to get the jump on their kidnapper – not a very bright individual – overpower him and escape. Turned out the idiot had grabbed the wrong woman in the first place. She and her daughter were reunited with a very happy Marine at the NCIS office late Thursday night. Friday was all paperwork for Gibbs and his team but at least they got off work on time.

Jethro called Lauren but when she didn't answer he joined the team along with Ducky and Abby for a beer to celebrate a good outcome on the case. He called again an hour later and Lauren answered. "Hi, are you free for dinner with me?"

"I'm sorry Jethro I can't. I'm actually on my way to meet some people about publishing my story. Did you finish the case?"

"Yes, a happy ending for once. That's great about your story, good luck. I'll see you tomorrow then?"

"Absolutely, good night Jethro. Go celebrate, you earned it."

"Night Lauren."

Gibbs turned back to the group to find everyone looking at him with smiles on their faces and several of them handing Tony 20 bills. He looked at Ducky who held his hands up in mock surrender.

"They are highly trained investigators, Jethro. You didn't think they wouldn't catch on did you?"

Jethro just laughed and said, "Looks like the next round is on DiNozzo."

After another drink Jethro and Ducky left the young ones and walked back to the Navy Yard to retrieve their cars.

"I've decided to tell Lauren about my past tomorrow. I feel like I'm being dishonest with her now and I don't want to do that anymore."

"I think that's a wise decision my friend. I have a feeling this woman is very good for you Jethro. You're doing the right thing."

"I never expected to find someone so accepting of me. And I never expected to feel this way about someone again. Not after all the, well, not after Jenny."

They had reached their cars by now. Ducky put his hand on Jethro's arm and said, "Jennifer was an exceptional woman Jethro and what the two of you shared was unique to say the least. I believe the fact that your love survived so many shall we say, challenges over the years should in some way reassure you that you are very capable of a long term relationship. You need to give yourself permission to be happy with Lauren and I think you will be pleasantly surprised at how easy it will be. Good night Jethro." With that Ducky got into his car and left Jethro standing in the parking garage.

The next day started out gray and overcast and the weather went downhill from there. It was just spitting rain when Jethro got to the marina. Since there was to be no sailing Jethro and Lauren decided to go out for breakfast. The bad weather actually suited Jethro because he wanted to take Lauren to his house anyway. After they had eaten he asked her if she'd like to see where he built Kelly and she said she had been hoping he would ask.

Twenty minutes later they were standing in Jethro's basement. He explained how he had built the hull and the cabin separately but he refused to tell her how he got the pieces out of the basement. "Sorry, that's top secret," he laughed when she persisted.

"Well, someday you'll tell me" Lauren said with a gleam in her eyes.

"Let's go upstairs I want to talk to you about something." Jethro took her hand and led Lauren up the stairs and into the living room. Settling on the couch Jethro took her hands in his and kissed her lightly on the mouth.

"Jethro you're making me nervous. What's going on?"

Jethro took a deep breath and said, "Nothing's going on. I just need to tell you some things about me before we get any more involved with each other, okay?"

"Sure, go ahead, I won't interrupt you."

Jethro began by telling her about his three divorces and some of what caused them. At least from his point of view. Lauren didn't let on that she knew about this already. When he had finished that Jethro got up and went to the mantle where he retrieved a framed photo of himself with Shannon and Kelly. He handed Lauren the photo and told her who they were and what had happened to them. He told this in a steady voice but Lauren sensed he was fighting to maintain his control.

When he didn't speak for a long time, Lauren said, "They're beautiful Jethro. I'm so sorry they were taken from you."

Jethro went on to explain that he had kept them a secret for years even from Ducky. He said he was telling her because they were so much a part of him even now. Then he told her about Jenny. That took a long time and when he was finished Jethro sat back down and just looked at Lauren.

Finally he said, "I'm telling you all this because you need to know I'm not very good at relationships. I don't talk much about things I probably should and that causes problems. I'll probably never remember your birthday and when I'm working I might even forget your name. Not really but you get the idea. Most people who know me know the second B in Gibbs stands for bastard and a good part of the time I live up to that." He stopped talking and looked away from her.

Lauren put her hand on Jethro's chin and turned his face to her, "Are you finished?"

"I think I've covered everything."

"Thank you for telling me all that Jethro. I appreciate the fact that you are being honest with me. I'm very sorry about Shannon and Kelly and Jenny. It sounds to me like you've had the love of two very special women in your life and tried to find it in three others who maybe weren't so special. I don't know how I'll measure up to either of them so I won't try. I've told you who I am and that won't change. We're not 20-somethings with no life history, Jethro. We're all grown up and we both have a past. What I'm interested in knowing now is do you want to have a present and a future with me because I surely want that with you."

Jethro didn't trust himself to speak so he pulled Lauren onto his lap and captured her mouth in a greedy, demanding kiss. His hands were all over her and she responded in kind. Weeks of being careful and going slowly came to a crashing end. Needing to breath, Lauren pulled away from the kiss and asked, "Should I take that as a yes?"

"Damn right you should."

Jethro was confused and just a little upset when Lauren pushed herself away from him and stood up. An instant later he was relieved when she took his hand and asked, "You got a bedroom in this house, Jethro?"

"As a matter of fact I have three. Let's start in mine though." With that Jethro took Lauren's hand and led her upstairs to his bedroom. Shirts and shoes were flying and shorts were falling to the floor before they even got through the door. When they got to the bed Jethro reached out to run his hands over Lauren's face. He touched her so lightly with his fingertips it made her shudder. Slowly he moved closer and ran his hands down her arms and back up to her shoulders. Then across her chest and back up to her lips.

"Kiss me Jethro," Lauren whispered because that was all she had breath to do.

He gladly obliged and his hands tangled in her hair holding her tightly to his mouth. Lauren's hands were traveling up and down his back and up into his hair. She stepped back just enough to be able to unhook her bra and Jethro gently removed it. His hands immediately went to cup her breasts and his mouth crashed down on hers. He backed her up to the edge of the bed and she pulled him down with her. From there it was just a matter of minutes until the room was filled with their moans of pleasure and their names being called out in ecstasy. The first time was heated and quick bringing weeks of waiting to an abrupt end. The second time was slow and sweet but no less heated or satisfying.

Lauren loved the feel of Jethro's hands on her skin. He was a thoughtful and thorough loved and she couldn't get enough of him touching her.. For his part Jethro enjoyed seeing Lauren come apart beneath him. He wanted to touch every inch of her and when she touched and licked and kissed him he lost all power to reason or speak. They spent the rest of the day making love, sleeping and then doing it all over again. Neither could remember having spent a more worthwhile Saturday in a long time.

Eventually the need for food intervened and Jethro ordered Chinese which they ate on the couch in the living room. Jethro had pulled on his shorts and Lauren was wearing his tee shirt over her shorts. She hadn't been able to find her underwear but she didn't really care. They had worked up quite an appetite so the food was gone in short order. While Jethro cleaned up the food containers Lauren decided to take a shower. Jethro heard the water come on and smiled to himself.

Lauren heard a knock on the door followed by Jethro's voice, "May I join you?"

"What took you so long?'

"Well I had to throw out all those little boxes. Then I had to put the glasses and the forks in the dishwasher then….

"Shut up Jethro." Lauren wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him into a hot, wet kiss. The shower lasted a lot longer than the hot water but neither Jethro or Lauren seemed to notice. They shared a towel then fell back into bed and fast asleep wrapped in each other's arms.

In the morning Jethro awoke to find Lauren lying next to him running her fingers lightly up and down his chest and smiling at him. "Good morning" she said as she leaned over and kissed him.

"Good morning yourself. Did you sleep okay?"

"Never better." Now her hands were replaced by her lips as she kissed her way around his chest.

"Uuumm, you want to go sailing today?" Jethro was having trouble putting words in the right order.

"Yes, I do want to go. As much as I enjoyed yesterday," now she was looking up at him and grinning, "and I did enjoy it Jethro, we need to get out of this bed today. Don't you think?' By now she was lying on top of him and her hands were in his hair.

Jethro thought, she doesn't act like she wants to get out of bed. "We got out of bed yesterday!" Jethro tried to sound indignant but it didn't work.

"Yes to eat, take a 30 minute shower together and the come right back here." Now she was kissing him all around his mouth. "It was a perfect day Jethro but yes, I do want to go sailing with you."

Jethro didn't think her actions and her words were matching up but who was he to complain? He wasn't disappointed she wanted to go sailing. In fact he wanted to go sailing with Lauren, to the grocery store with Lauren, out to eat with Lauren; all the things people did with their lovers; that's what he wanted to do. In short he wanted to have a normal life with this beautiful, passionate woman who was currently driving him insane with her hands and her mouth. Maybe sailing would have to wait just a while longer he decided as he rolled them over and held himself over her.

Jethro kissed and sucked and licked his way down the body he had explored so thoroughly yesterday. Lauren responded to his attention enthusiastically and it wasn't long before they both reached their climax and Jethro collapsed at her side. It didn't take long though for Jethro to recuperate and announce as he got up, "C'mon let's get going beautiful. Leaving in twenty minutes."

Lauren sighed with pleasure and pulled herself out of bed, brushed her teeth with a new toothbrush Jethro left out for her, got dressed and was ready when Jethro poured the coffee. They had a great day on the boat and both were sorry to see the weekend coming to an end. They talked about where the relationship was going. The decided not to plan but to enjoy, not to think about it but to just trust their feelings and let nature take its course so to speak.

And so the routine was set. They spent most weekends sailing or taking Lauren's boat out. During the week Lauren spent most nights at Jethro's house. Her articles about the Marines were published as a series in fifteen major newspapers across the county and earned her some very good reviews. She was doing volunteer work at the hospital now and working on several other stories at the same time. Of course Jethro continued to chase and catch bad guys. The time he used to spend working on the boat he now spent with Lauren. They were learning each other's habits; good and bad and Jethro was loving every minute of it.

In fact Jethro was starting to think he might one day soon be rid of the cynical little voice in his head that every so often reminded him that his happiness never lasted. He had to admit that his life was good; in fact better than he could have imagined it a year ago. He had a job he still loved, he was in great health despite all his close calls, his boat was nearly perfect and now he had a beautiful, wonderful woman who for some reason seemed to love him. Only rarely nowadays did he hear that little bastard whispering doubts in his head.

One evening in late October Jethro came home to find Lauren curled up on the couch looking decidedly unhappy. Uh-oh the little voice said as he walked around to sit beside her. "Hey, babe what's the matter? You look like you've lost your best friend. What's happened?"

"You're here so I haven't lost my best friend" Lauren said with a smile. "What's happened is my sister called and they are sending a crew for the boat next week. They decided they want it there for the winter. I don't blame them but I don't like losing my place to live on such short notice."

Fear was suddenly pounding Jethro on the head. "You're not going with the boat to Florida are you?" It seemed illogical to him but he had to ask.

"No, well I certainly don't want to. I just need to find a place to live that's all."

"Oh well no problem. You can just live with me. I mean you're here most of the time anyway. I would really love it if you were here all the time."

"Are you sure? We haven't ever talked about living together. That's kind of a big step isn't it?"

"Oh hell Lauren, let's stop pussyfooting around here! You're here five days a week anyway. When you're not here I'm on your boat. There's no reason for you to have another place to live. You can have one of the bedrooms for an office. It will work out fine. Besides I want you here, with me." Jethro was all but shouting at her which was something new.

"It sounds like you've put some thought into this already. When you put it like that how can a girl resist? I would love to be here with you Jethro."

Jethro exhaled a breath he didn't know he was holding. Crisis averted and the situation was actually improved overall. Another blow to the little cynic that had just moments ago been whispering, 'see good things never last'.

That weekend Lauren officially moved into Jethro's house. That night after they made love to celebrate the new living arrangement Jethro said, "I was thinking maybe it's time you met my team."

"I'd like that. Why don't we have them over for dinner on Saturday?"

"Okay, I'll talk to them tomorrow. What do you think, 7:00 be okay?"

"Yes, I'll cook something special. It'll be fun, I haven't cooked anything in a real kitchen for a while. Just something casual but plenty of food and drink."

The next morning Jethro invited the team including Abby and of course Ducky for dinner on Saturday night. Everyone said they could be there. Lauren was already busy planning the menu and making lists and shopping. Jethro loved that she was so excited to meet his team and so willing to be the hostess in his home. He began to relax and believe he was actually going to be able to keep this happiness thing going. That's why he was surprised when he woke up from a nightmare in a cold sweat Thursday night. He couldn't remember the nightmare but he didn't get much sleep the rest of the night.

Maybe it was lack of sleep but for some reason Jethro had a bad feeling Friday when he left for work. He kissed Lauren goodbye and held onto her just a little longer than usual. In the car, he kept hearing the little bastard voice say, 'be careful, your happiness doesn't last'. Jethro cursed the voice and himself for listening and got to work in a foul mood.

Getting a call before 9:00 about a hostage situation didn't help his mood at all. They hadn't been on scene for more than 10 minutes when all hell broke loose. For some reason people came running out of the building then the dirt bags inside panicked and came out shooting. The whole thing was over in a couple of minutes but when Tony and Ziva looked around Gibbs was on the ground and blood seemed to be everywhere.

"Oh shit, Ziva get the medics. Boss, boss stay with me. You're going to be okay. Stay with me." Tony tried not to look scared, he knew Gibbs could read him like a book but this looked really bad.

Jethro knew it was bad without seeing Tony's expression. "This ain't no shoulder wound" he thought grimly. Jethro felt like his life was slipping away right here on the ground just when he had thought maybe it was coming together. He wanted to scream, No, this can't happen, not now!! But he could barely breath much less scream. Jethro felt himself sinking and for the first time in a really long time he was scared. It was so hard to stay awake even with DiNozzo shouting at him, begging him to hang on. At least he looked like he was shouting, Jethro couldn't really hear him anymore. He thought for sure he was going to die. Then, somehow he thought of Lauren. He reached for Tony's jacket and pulled him down so he could tell him something. It took all his strength to whisper to Tony, "Get Lauren."

Tony nodded and said, "Don't worry boss, we'll get her. Hang on just a little longer, please."

"My house." Jethro managed those last two words before he lost consciousness.

"Shit, come on Boss, stay with me. Don't you dare die on me boss." Tony frantically felt for a pulse and found one; just barely.

The medics arrived and loaded Gibbs into the ambulance. Tony called Ducky and told him what had happened and what Gibbs had said. Ducky said he'd get Lauren and meet them at the hospital. He prayed she was at home.

Ducky didn't bother to knock, he went right in the house calling for Lauren.

"Yes, I'm here. Why Ducky, how nice…" Then she saw the expression on his face, "What's wrong? What's happened, Ducky?"

"Jethro's been shot my dear. He asked us to get you."

Lauren froze and stared at Ducky. Shot? What was Ducky talking about? She couldn't think for a moment.

"Lauren, I hate to rush you but I must get to the hospital. Are you coming?"

"Yes of course, let's go." Lauren regained her senses and ran out of the house ahead of Ducky.

When they arrived at the hospital, the team was milling around the ER. "He's still in the trauma room Ducky. We don't know what's happening." Tony gave his report as soon as Ducky walked in.

"I'll go see what I can find out. Tony, this is Lauren. Stay with her."

Tony, Ziva and McGee introduced themselves to Lauren and tried to reassure her. The problem with that was they didn't feel too good about the situation. They had all seen Gibbs wounded or hurt before but nothing like this. Ducky returned in a few minutes and all eyes were on him.

"I won't lie to you it's very serious this time. Jethro took two rounds. One in the side, not too serious but the chest wound is another matter. They have him stabilized for the moment and are taking him for surgery as soon as the surgeon is ready, probably in just a few minutes. He regained consciousness once they stabilized him. He's asking to see you Lauren if you're up to it."

"Yes, of course. Please take me to him." When she entered the trauma area the nurse told Lauren, "Just a minute or two and then we'll be taking him up to surgery."

Lauren swallowed a gasp when she saw Jethro. She took his hand and kissed him on the forehead. Jethro opened his eyes and tried to speak to her but couldn't. Lauren leaned down close to his ear and said, "I love you Jethro. I'll be here when you wake up. Fight Jethro, I love you."

Jethro blinked slowly twice trying to tell her he understood. She squeezed his hand as they wheeled him out. Only then did she break down and cry. Ducky held her until she could compose herself.

"Will he make it Ducky?"

"Jethro's a fighter. I've seen him come back when no one thought he would. He's got a lot of motivation now Lauren. If this had happened six months ago I'd have said his chances were slim. But now, I think he will fight as hard as he can. He's in very good hands here. We just have to wait and see."

And so they waited, and waited. The doctor came out almost four hours later. "Special Agent Gibbs survived the surgery, just barely. His chest wound was severe but could have been much worse because the bullet must missed his heart. He is in recovery now and will be moved to ICU when he leaves there. He will be there for at least a day maybe two. Barring infection or some other complication however, I think he will made a full recovery. He lost a lot of blood but he seems to be determined to live. No visitors tonight. You should all go home and get some sleep."

The team just looked at each other and at Lauren and sat down to wait. Seeing they weren't going to leave the doctor smiled and said, "I'll send someone out when he's settled in the ICU. You can go in and see him for 5 minutes only; two at a time. Okay?"

"Yes thank you doctor." Ducky spoke for the group then followed the doctor down the hall to get a more detailed report. When he returned Lauren asked, "What didn't he tell us Ducky?"

"Well he didn't think we all needed to hear they lost Jethro twice on the table. They were about to call it when somehow Jethro's heart started again. The doctors were all quite amazed. As he said Jethro lost a lot of blood but it seems he has a good chance of making a complete recovery after all."

A nurse came out an hour later and said they could see Gibbs. Only for 5 minutes and only two at a time. Ziva, Tony and McGee looked at Ducky and nodded. Ziva spoke up, "Lauren we would like you to take our time. We will wait for Ducky's report."

Lauren thanked them and followed Ducky to the ICU. This time she did gasp when she saw Jethro. He had tubes and wires everywhere. He was so pale it frightened her. The nurse told her he was dong well; he was resting comfortably. The man in front of her didn't look like he was 'doing well' but she guessed it was all relative. Lauren leaned over and kissed Jethro's forehead and whispered in his ear, "I love you. Keep fighting. I'm right here." She pulled a chair up next to the bed and took Jethro's hand in hers. She had no intention of leaving after five minutes or even twenty minutes. Ducky consulted with the doctor and the nurses and they agreed to allow her to stay as long as Jethro continued to be stable and comfortable.

Lauren continued to hold Jethro's hand and talk to him through the night. She wiped his face with a cool cloth and held his hand to her face so he could feel her there. She finally fell asleep in the early morning hours. She still had Jethro's hand in hers and it was him squeezing her hand ever so slightly that awakened her. She hadn't cried all night but seeing those blue eyes looking at her was her undoing. She let the tears flow but they were tears of relief not sadness.

She raised Jethro's hand to her mouth and kissed his palm and he tried to wipe away her tears with his thumb. Jethro fell back to sleep so Lauren decided to go freshen up and tell everyone he had been awake. She returned 30 minutes later and Jethro was again awake. The doctor was examining him so she waited at the desk. When he came out Ducky had joined her.

The doctor said, "Well, it seems Special Agent Gibbs had a very good night. His vitals are strong and we're going to remove the breathing tube. He is doing remarkably well considering what he went through in surgery. I would expect him to move to a regular room tomorrow. "

Lauren and Ducky hugged each other and Ducky went to give the others the good news and send them home. Lauren stepped back into the room when the nurses left. The breathing tube had been removed and replaced by a just a nasal canula. A couple of other tubes and wires had also been removed. The scene wasn't quite as scary as before. Jethro seemed to be sleeping so Lauren just stood and looked at him for a long time. This was certainly not something she had expected to have to deal with when she fell in love with Jethro. Well she told herself, surely it doesn't get worse than this. She realized she couldn't walk away; she was hopelessly, endlessly in love with this man. She never wanted to be here again but if that is what loving Jethro Gibbs involved that she guessed she would just have to accept it.

About an hour later Jethro woke up again and gave her a small smile. Lauren leaned down and kissed him on the mouth. When she tried to pull back Jethro held her in place with a hand gripping the front of her shirt. She smiled at him and gave him what he wanted. When he finally let her go Lauren brushed her fingertips over his lips and smiled at him.

With what little strength he had left after the kiss, Jethro motioned her closer so he could tell her something. "I'm sorry Lauren. I'm sorry you had to go through this."

Lauren couldn't stop the tears from coming again. She held his face in her hands and said, "No, Jethro it's okay. You don't have to apologize to me. Your whole team has been here all night. They have been great. Don't use any of your energy worrying about me." She had told him countless times during the night that she loved him but she didn't know if he had ever heard her. She decided to tell him again now that he was awake.

She positioned herself so she was face to face with Jethro, leaned in very close and said, "Thank you for fighting Jethro. Thank you for coming back to me. I love you very much."

Jethro blinked back his tears. He listened very carefully for the little bastard in his head but it was gone. Finally he heard the other, quieter voice say, "it's okay, go ahead and be happy." Jethro raised one hand to touch Lauren's face and whispered to her, "I love you more."

END


End file.
